| The re-emergence of the South African Rugby team in recent years has been nothing short of fantastic for a nation steeped in rugby history. Prior to the apartheid, the Spingboks were forces to be reckoned with at every level of International rugby. However, in 1981 they were banned from playing international competiton by the International Rugby Board and not readmitted until 1992.
It was not until the 1995 Rugby World Cup that South Africa rediscovered their form of years gone by, winning the tournament as the host country. An achievemnt that is undoubtedlby the greatest in South African sporitng history.
In 1996 they were founder members of the Tri Nations Series along with Australisa and New Zealand. The Springboks won the Tri Nations Championship for the first time in 1998 and again for the second and last time in 2004. South Africa will be optimistic of performing better in the 2008 Tri Nations Championships after signs of improvement during the 2007 World Cup. They will also be looking to win back the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate from Australia for the first time since 2005 as well as winning back the the Freedom Cup from current holders New Zealand.
The Springboks came under much criticism during the 2007 Tri Nations as a result of resting key players during the Austrlaian tests, this was in view of the impending World Cup campaign. The Springboks will be a different proposition during the 2008 Tri Nations series.
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